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Dec 29 Fit for Travel

My husband, Clayton, and I traveled to the central coast of California a few weeks ago to celebrate our one year anniversary and in search of a HOME. Yes, the big news as of late: we're moving across the country. (Ahh!)

After three years of living in Atlanta (and 26 years of calling Georgia and/or Auburn, Alabama home), Clayton and I are stepping out of our southern comfort zone and entering into a world on the west coast. (And I'll be carrying my half of Art of Style with me, of course). Brianna and I were so thrilled to get this blog rolling before the big move and I feel that we're in a good place to begin sharing ideas, inspirations and common loves from two parts of the country―Atlanta, Georgia and the Central Coast of California. My hope for this journey is to grow by immersing ourselves in a new location and, in turn, present new perspectives on fashion, lifestyle and daily musings from two very different and inspiring parts of the country. We are too excited and are feeling very fortunate to see where this journey leads! Now, book your plane tickets to come visit because the sites here are outrageously beautiful. In doing so, you may want to pack a little something like this…

An outfit comfortable enough for travel― chic and simple. (Complimented by my favorite camera tote). This get-up made a world of difference when hopping around the little town of Monterey, window shopping and tasting treats in the neighboring city of Carmel. It was comfortable to walk along the beach, but also appropriate to wear to most restaurants.

When in a new city, my daily goals usually look something like this:

1. Learn at least one new thing about the culture and/or natives.

2. Find the BEST brunch location in town.

3. Take pictures of everything possible without missing out on the here and now. (A Photographer's life struggle).

A recap of these goals― judging by first impression, (but pretty sure this will hold true) everyone in the area is nice. Genuinely. This is not to compare the level of niceness to that of Atlantians, but rather to note a more relaxed lifestyle. California's niceness was not southern hospitality at its finest― instead it seemed to stem from lighter spirits. From daily interaction with the sea, fresh(er) air, welcomed wildlife, and visitors from all walks of life. All of these claims may be premature, but nonetheless, locals seemed to be living at European speed. Calmer. Geared towards enjoying the little things in life. If the above claims hold true, I'm going to love it here.

The best brunch spot in Monterey that I came across in the short 48 hours we spent there was, without a doubt, Cafe Lumiere. They poured a superb cappicino and the space was great for quickly catching up on emails before further exploring. For more field notes of the trip, you can visit my photography journal.